Automatic paper punching machine



June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

I I AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Filed April 14. 1948 e Sheets-Sheet1 m IN VEN TOR. Q g /HES 6: C9020 June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN AUTOMATICPAPER PUNCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1948 INVENTOR.

9,922,556. (kl/241v- BY O Q l I II I IIIIIIIIII lll l D O June 9, 1953c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Filed. April 14, 1948 6 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR. 696015.; 6! 639020 c. c. CRUZAN 2,641,321

6 Shets-Sheet 4 Jim/r15: 62 024 June 9, 1953 AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHINGMACHINE Filed April 14, 1948 June 9, 1953 c. c. CRUZAN AUTOMATIC PAPERPUNCHING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 14. 1948 INVENTOR.62419155 6. (kw/201v k mw bw 000 w C. C. CRUZAN AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHINGMACHINE- June 9, 1953 e Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 14, 1948 T W ML.

n I I IM IIII IIIDIIIIIIU U l N l Ill Patented June 9, 1953 2,641,321AUTOMATIC PAPER PUNCHING MACHINE Charles C. Cruzan, Salt Point, N. Y.,assignor to Wire- Corporation, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application April 14, 1948, Serial No. 20,878

12 Claims.

The invention here disclosed releates to paper punching machines andparticularly to machines of the type covered by United States Patents2,114,259 of April 12, 1938, and 2,238,680 of April 15, 1941, forpunching the perforations required for securing sheets in wire andplastic binders.

As disclosed in these patents, the sheets are punched, a group at atime, and the handling of these lift-s, as they are called, has requiredspecial training and skill on the part of the operator and the output ofsuch machines has depended largely on the skill and attention of theoperator.

Primary objects of the present invention are to effect the necessaryseparating and feeding operations, all automatically, and with anaccuracy and speed not dependent upon any. individual skill orcooperation.

Special objects are to attain these results at a reasonable cost andwith what may be considered relatively simple, mechanical structureadapted to run continuously over extended periods.

Particular objects of the invention also are to provide a machine of thecharacteristics mentioned which may be readily set up to handledifferent sizes and grades of paper stock and be otherwise readilyadaptable to performing or carrying out different or special requiredoperations.

Other special objects of the invention are to accomplish the purposesoutlined Without greatly or objectionably increasing the bulk overmachines such as heretofore employed in hand feeding opereations, thusto enable use of the new automatic machines in binderies having limitedspace.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of the invention are setforth or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate a present practical embodiment of the invention. Structure,how ever, may be modified and changed as regards the immediateillustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined and broadly claimed.

Fig. l in the drawings is a plan view of the machine with parts brokenand some parts appearing in section;

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the machine, with the upper tapeframe shown in released and partly lifted position;

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view on a larger scale showing the uppertape frame cammed upward and hooked in its fully lifted position;

Fig. 4 is a broken view of the right-hand end of the machine; 1 7

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail of the cam and cable connections foroperating the Ijogger cooperating with the end stop;

"Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional view on an enlarged scaleillustrating particularly the lift gripping rolls, feed tapes, endstopand jog- E Fig. 7 is a fragmentary part sectional view illustratingdetails of the cooperating end'stop'and j r; A I

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged broken plan and front views, respectively, ofthe lift feed mechanism showing the feed slide and holdback clamp inretracted position; 3

Fig. 10 is a broken sectional view showingjthe slide advanced to push aliftfrom the bottom of the stack and the holdback clamp closedlto holdthe overlying sheets in place while the lift "is slid out from beneaththe same; J

Fig. 11 is a broken cross sectional detail of the slide construction ason substantially the plane of line ll--Il of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective View of one of the punched lifts.

Figs. 13 and 14 are plan views of the feeder blade and clamp plate foradjustably securing the same;

Fig. 15 is a broken side elevation on an enlarged scale showing how theunder surface ofthe feed blade or fbayonet may be relieved to avoid anytendency for jamming or wedging the sheets in the stack.

The punching portion of the machine isshown as of the same generaldesign as disclosed inPatent 2,238,680, with a ram 15 carrying thepunches, operating vertically in side. guides l6, l1, and actuated by arocker l8 journaled in the side guides at 9 and connected by a pitman 20with a crank or cam onthe drive shaft2l. ,A front stop 22, Fig. 1,determines the position of, the row of perforations 23 punched in a liftof .sheets such as illustrated at 24, Fig. 12. l

In the present invention the-sheets are stacked in quantity on a table25 at one side ofithe feed table 26 directly in front of thepunch'andfed out from the bottom of the stack, one. lift at .a time, tothe punch mechanism. f

In the illustration the sheets 21 are confined in stack formation on thetable 25 by upright angled front corner guides 28, 29, and rear guides30, 31. These maybe adjustably'mounted'to' accommodate different sizesheets asby beingsecured by'bolts 32 engaged in undercut grooves 33in'the table top.

Separation and feeding of the group'o'f'sheets forming the lowermostlift is accomplished in the illustration by a slide 34 operating overthe table top and having a tapered and sharpened forward edge portionspaced above the top a distance 36, Fig. 9, equivalent to the thicknessof the lift and therefore adapted to penetrate the stack at the properlevel to separate the sheets necessary to form the lower lift at.

This slide has a feed shoulder 3'! at the back of the separating bladeportion 35 which, as shown in Fi s. and 15, will forward the separatedsheets into the bite of a pair o; feeding-out rollers 38,39,1igs2 and 6.

As shown in the latter'view, the front stack guides 28, 25, arerelievedat their lower ends'to form a gateway it for free passage of theseparated lift to the pulling-out rolls 38, 39.

To prevent dislodgement of the sheets overlying the separated lift, thefeed slide is provided with means for holding back the next adjoiningoverlying layer of sheets in the form of a clamp ii having a tapered andsharpened forward edge to penetrate the stack at a level above theseparated lower layer and pivoted ates to close down in grippingengagement with the thus separated upper layer of sheets.

The closing, automatic gripping engagement of the holdback clamp iseffected, in the illustration. by providing it with an inclined camshaped up" surface i l to engage the lower edge t} of a 4% extendingacross between the rear stack guides 30, 3 i.

To allow the feed slide the forward movement necessary to feed theseparated lower lift after the upper layer has been gripped and held bythe holdback clamp, the latter is shown mounted on a plate ll slidinglymounted at 48 in the main feed slide 3d.

The pivot 33 for the holdback clamp is shown carried by lugs or ears 35on the slide plate ll and the latter is shown projected forwardly on themain slide by a compression spring 593 surrounding the rod 5i andbearing against the forward end of a guide sleeve 52 adjustably securedby clamp screw 51% on the main slide.

By releasing the set-screw and longitudinally adjusting guide sleeve 52,the tension of spring'dil may be adjusted to hold the clamp advancedunder proper spring pressure to enter the stack sufficiently for a firmgrip on the layer of sheets overlying the sheets forming the separatedlower lift.

The holdback clamping blade il. is yieldingly held in open or raisedposition, as in Figs. 2 and 9, by a spring Ml bearing downward on theoutwardly extended arm 55of this member ad justed as to tension by theoverstanding thumbnut 55. l v

It will be noted in Fig. 9 that the under surfaces of both the lowerseparating blade and the upper clamping blade 4i are substantiallyparallel with the table to enter the stack smoothly without tearing thesheets and that the upper surfaces are inclined to act in a wedgingcapacity for lifting and separating the sheets.

The under surface of the lower, separating blade 85, however, preferablyis relieved, back of the front end portion of the same, substantially asindicated at 35a in the detail view, Fig. 15, all the way back to thefeed shoulder 37' so as to overcome tendency for the separated liftforming sheets 25. wedging against the face of the blade. This wedgingtendency may be created by a slight springing of the thinned projectingportion of the blade away from and out '01: paralelism with the face ofthe table. The'relief in the under surface of the blade affords slightadditional clearance for the sheets bacl; to the feed shoulder andeifectually prevents any wedging or jamming of the sheets beneath theblade.

The lift separating and holdbaol; members and H are carried, in thepresent disclosure, by a slidin'gcarriage made up of bars El, Fig. 11,operating in guide slots 53 in the table 25 and secured by through bolts59 to the body portion 36 of the :ieed slide at the top, and to theunderlying slide plate. to and operating plate El at the bottom, beheaththe table.

The latter, as shown in Fig. 2, carries a wrist pin 62 engaged by oneend or a link 33 whose opposite endis :pivotally connected at 55 withthe .upper end of, a lever 65 pivotally supported at its lowerend atiit'and carrying a roller in cngagement with the groove 68 in a cam 69.

The cam 69 is driven in timed relation with the .punch mechanism, in thepresent disclosure by a chaindrive 19-, Fig. 4, from the main driveshaft '21 .ofthe punch to a parallel shaft "ii, connected the stack.

For finer adjustments the paper feeder secured on the slide carriagethrough the intermedia-c3; of a clamp plate 15 slotted at "It for pas--sage of the through bolts 59, the base a l having longer slots 7? forthese bolts.

Outer sets of bolts 18 serve to further secure the clamp plate to thebase plate it, these bolts being shown arranged in pairs and applyingpressure through thepads or washer-lilae clamp plates "19. The mainclamp plate is shown as having elongated slots in its outer edges forthe free passage of the pairs of bolts 13.

It will be seen that upon loosening bolts and Til the clamp plate '15 isreleased to permit bodily adjustment of the sheet feeder base 3 inrespect to the barsE'i of the slide carriage, to the extent permitted bylength of the slots El and 38. Spacer ribs Bl on the under side of thebase plate operatingv through the slots 82 in the table top directlyengage the tops of the slide bars ll"! so that tightening of the bolts59 secures the plate 35 without binding it on the table.

Flat springs 33 are shown in Figs. 8 and 9 held beneath the heads of theinner sets of bolts 5% and bearing downward at their free ends on theforwardly or inwardly projecting portion oi the feeder'plate 3G to.prevent vibration and hold it downin smooth sliding engagement with thesurface of the table.

The bottom lift 2d, separated as described and pushed out from beneaththe layer of sheets held back above the same into the bite of theconstantly running feed rollers 38, 29, is adanced by the latter intothe grip of the constantly running upper and lower companion feed tapes8d, 85, operating over the feed table 26 in front of the punch. Theupper set of tapes B l are-shown carried by pulleys 36, 87, on shafts88,39, and the lower set of tapes onpulleys 96, 9!, on shafts 92 and 93.

A special feature of the upper set of tapes is that they are mounted ina swinging frame t l pivoted at 95 on an axis correspondingto the axisof the upper feed roll shaft 88, Figs. 2 and 3, so that this completeset of tapes, as a single unit, may be swung upwardly clear of the lowertapes and so as to fully uncover the punch table.

To accomplish complete separation of the tapes the pivots 95 for theupper tape frame are arranged directly on the-ends of the slidingjournal boxes 93 for the upper roll shaft 88 and the frame is providedwith inclined hook shaped cams 97 which by engagement over rolls 98 atthe upper sides of said journal boxes will effect lifting of thestructure to an extent substantially as indicated in Fig. 3. Theinclined lifting cams 91 are shown as terminating in hook portions 98afitting over the rolls 98 to retain the parts in this position againstthe tension of the springs 99 operating to lower the journal boxes toeffect cooperative engagement of the upper tapes. 84 with the lowertapes-85.

With this construction the feed table in front of the punch may beentirely cleared at any time by simply swinging the upper tape frame asupwardly in the manner indicated in Fig. 2, into the substantiallyvertical position shown in Fig. 3, where it will be releasably held solong as may be desired, by engagement of the hook cams 9?, 9811 over thesupporting rollers 98, and in which relation the upper tapes, thoughthey may continue to run, because of gear I08 still remaining in meshwith gear I'I, will be free of the lower tapes.

The drive for the upper and lower sets of tapes is provided in themachine illustrated by belt drive connections I00 from the motor IOI,

Fig. 1, which operates the punch mechanism, to

a horizontally extending shaft I02 carrying a spiral gear I03 in meshwith a corresponding gear I04 on the intermediate, back to front shaftI05, Fig. 2, carrying a gear I06 in mesh with a gear 01 on the lowertape drive shaft 92, gear I0? being in mesh with a gear I08 on the endof the upper tape drive shaft 88.

Gear I06 also as shown in Fig. 2, is in mesh with a gear I09 on the endof the shaft I I0 carrymg the lower feeding-out roll 38, and this gearI09 is in mesh with the gear III on the upper feeding-out roll shaftII2.

Thus a single cross shaft I is utilized to drive the feed rolls 38, 39,as well as both sets of lower and upper feed tapes.

To assure passage of the separated lift from the pulling-out rolls 38,39, to the feed tapes, a

' guide H3, Fig. 6, is shown interposed between the rolls and theentrance end to the. feed tapes.

The lift of sheets 24 advanced by the feed tapes 84. 8'5, over the frontof the punch table 26, is stopped in proper position in front of thepunch dies by an end stop I I4, Figs. 1, 2, 6 and '7, projected upwardlypast the feeder tapes by rocker arms H5 on a rock shaft H6 oscillated bylever arm II! and link H0 from a rock lever H9 pivoted at I20 andcarrying a follower roll I2I in engagement with a cam surface I22 on theedge of the cam 59.

A spring I23 connected with the lever .II9

' acts to yieldingly hold the lever rocked into position with the endstop uplifted as in Fig. 6 and the lower roll I2I in engagement with theedge cam I22.

To register the sheets of the lift accurately against the end stop II4,a jogger I24, Fig. '7, is provided in the form of a lever pivoted at I25on a slide I25 actuated by a lever I21 projectmg upwardly from a shaftI28 rocked by a spring I29 in a direction to advance the jogger, to theleft in Figs. 6 and 7, and shifted in the opposite direction by a pullcable I30 connected with an arm I3I on the shaft and extending over apulley-I32 to one end of a rock lever I33, Figs. 4 and 5, pivoted at I34and carrying at the opposite end a roller I35 in engagement with an edgecam I36 on the shaft II.

The pivotal mounting of the jogger I24, as will be clear from Fig. '7,enables it to yield downwardly to a lift of sheets passing over the topof the same and to rise in back of the rearward edge of the lift,assisted by a spring I31. The cam I36 is timed to withdraw the jogger ata time when the lift is due to engage the end stop H4 and to then permitthe jogger to come up against the back edge of the lift under pull ofthe spring I29. To permit necessary adjustments of the j ogger; the sameisshown carried by a bracket I38 in Fig. '7, adjustably secured at I39on the actuating slide I26.

The lift of sheets fed into position and registered by the jogger I24 infront of the press, is fed into position beneath the punches by a gageor jogger I40, Fig. 1, carried by a bar I4I slidingly guided in themachine and carrying a roll I42 at the back in engagement with a cam I43on the main drive shaft 2|. This reciprocating bar is acted on at thefront by a spring I44 and the parts are timed for this gage I40 to shiftthe sheets after they are registeredagainst the end stop II4 inwardlyagainst the front stop 22 of the punch.

The front jogger I40 is shown in Fig. l as having an inwardly convergentguiding edge I45 for truing up any out of line sheets as they areadvanced by the tapes into position for feeding into the punch. v

The end stop II4 remainsin upraised position while the front gage orjogger I40 is feeding the lift of sheets across the face of the end gageinto the registered position in the punch, but as the punch head comesdown and the sheets are perforated, this end stop may be lowered so thatthe lift will be free and ready to be fed by the tapes laterally out ofthe punch as soon as the punch head lets go of the perforated sheets.

Thusno time is lost and only a momentary stoppage of the lift occurs,just long enough for the sheets to be jogged, shifted laterally to thepunch gage and punched, the constantly running tapes taking control andfeeding the lift on out of the machine as soon as the punching iscompleted.

Actually the jogger I24, after registering the lift against theend stopII4, may rest while the lift is shifted laterally by the frontjogger I40into thepunch and then, after the punch releases the stock, be advancedto start the lift out of the punch, thus to assist the tapes in carryingthe punched lift on out of the machine. This is of advantageparticularly in the case where the punches leave burrs at the edges of rthe perforations which might tend to cause the sheets to stick to thepunches, assuring that the lifts will positively start and be fed awayby the tapes.

To prevent the layer of sheets overlying the bottom lift from shiftingforward under the impulse of the clamping blade entering the stack, aso-called gate is provided in the illustration in the form of a bar I50,Figs. 1, 2, 4-. and 6, adjustably mounted on the cross bar I5I betweenthe front stack guides'28, 29, by a bolt I52 and thumb screw 553. ashorizontally slotted at I54 andthe gate as vertically slotted at 55,Fig. 4,'for passage of the small size.

The cross bar I5! is shown bolt :52, allowing for both lateral andvertical adjustment of the gate. Set screws 56, Fig. 4,

at the sides of the gate and bearing on top of the bar l5l, provide foraccurate vertical adjustments of the gate substantially to meet thelower edge of the held back group of sheets overlying the bottom lift.Adjusted with its lower edge substantially at the parting line betweenthe lower lift and the layer gripped by the holdback clamp, the gateassists this clamp in holding back the overlying layer of leaves andforms an abutment which will prevent forward shifting movement of thislayer under the push of the clamp blade in entering the stack.

The gate 559 also is important in holding back 'the overlying covers inthe case where the machine is used for feeding covers instead of liftsof sheets to the punch mechanism, the adjust- .ments described beingutilizedto accurately set the gate for such purposes.

The upper feed tapes M- may be veriably tensioned toward the lower setof tapes, in the machine shown, by adjustment of the thumb screws ifil,Fig. 6, forming the abutments for the holddown springs 8t.

In similar fashion the upper feed roll 39 may be journaled in verticallyslidable boxes tensioned by springs 58 held by thumb nuts 59. Theindependent adjustment of these thumb nuts at opposite ends of the rollis particularly advantageous when setting up the machine to handiesheets, covers or the like of different widths, it being desirable manytimes under such circumstances to apply greater tension at one end thanat the other end of this feed roll.

The gage Hill which feeds the lifts into the punch is shown in Fig. 1 asadjustably secured at 586 on the reciprocating bar It! so that it may beset to different width sheets. In the illustration the sheets beingpunched are of relatively The adjustments of the various parts are such,though, that a wide range of sheet sizes may be accommodated in the samemachine.

The lifts, as fast as they are released by the punch mechanism, arefedout by the tapes onto a suitable stacker such as indicated at Mil,Figs. 1 and 2, at the far end of the machine beneath the delivery end ofthe tapes and piled in the same order they were in in the supply stack,an important feature in handling numbered sheets, successive leaves ofbooks or the like.

Operation Reviewing briefly, the sheets 2'! confined in stack formationby stack guides 23, 28, 3!, Figs. 1 and 2, are removed, one lift at atime, from the bottom of the stack by a slidingfeeder 34- having a blade35, Figs. 5, 9 and 10, to enter the stack at the proper lift level andan abrupt shoulder 31 beneath and at the back of said blade to feed outthe separated lift into the bite of the constantly running feeding-outor pulling-out rolls 38, as, Fig. 6.

The sheets above the separated lift are gripped and held by a secondblade ii on the feed slide which enters the stack above the bottom liftand closes down into gripping engagement on the overlying sheets as itrides under the cam bar 45, Fig. 10. This holdback clamp being carriedby the bar 4! slida-bly mounted on the main slide base '34, remains ingripping engagement with 8 the sheets while the feed slide continues andcompletes its inward feedingmovement.

The lift taken by the feeding-out rolls 38, 39, Fig. 6, is immediatelyadvanced into the grip. of the companion feed tapes 8d, 85, and by thelattercarried up to the end stop li l. As the lift reaches this stop thejogger 1% comes up behind the back edge of the lift and registers orinsures their squaring up against the end stop As registration iseffected the reciprocating jogger Mil, Fig; 1, feeds the lift laterallyinto engagement with the'front stop 22 of the punch. The punch may beoperated 'atrelatively high speed so that the dwell for punching need bemomentary. To maintain or assist in maintaining the desired high speedoperations, the end stop H4 may be lowered practically as soon as thepunch takes hold of the paper so that when the punch in its retractivemovement, lets go, the lift is immediately carried on out of the machineby the tapes. The tapes run constantly and so are ready at all times totake the lifts from the feeding out rolls 33, advance them to thepunching station and then carry them clear of the punch mechanism. Thesetapes are tensioned to grip the lifts firmly enough to effect theseoperations butwith sufficient slip to permit momentary dwell of thelifts while they are being registered against the end stop IM, thenshifted laterally into the punch and arrested there for the punchingstroke.

The lifts and the sheets composing the lifts are held under propercontrol at all times. The entire automatic operations are rapid andaccurate, the machine is of compactdesign and does not require much morespace than the machines of the semi-automatic type first. mentioned. Allparts are readily accessible for necessary. adjustments or substitution.

While the machine is primarily designed for separating and feedingsheets in lifts as described, it is realized that the machine may beused for such purposes as punching book covers or the like, and in whichevent a plain feed slide which will feed one or more covers from thebottom of the stack may be used in place of the lift separating bladeand holdback clamp structure illustrated.

As the stack lowers in the hopper, from the feeding out of the stool;from the bottom, the stack may be replenished by simply addingfreshsheetsto the top of the stacln. The operation may thus be a continuousone and, since themachine can operate at high speed, high rates ofproduction can be maintained. While the loweringof the end stop H lprior to the release of the lift by the punch contributes to the highspeed action and may be a preferred method of operation, it iscontemplated that this stop may be timed to let go the liftsubstantially at the same time as the punch.

'While the invention is of particular importance for perforating sheetsand for that reason'has been so disclosed, it should be understood thatthe invention is of broader scope and has many other applications as,for example, in'connection with machines for trimming and for cuttingthe round corners on sheets. The terms employed herein have thereforebeen used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense and are to beread accordingly except where the intent to restrict is plain orpossiblywhere state of the prior art may. impute a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A'paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having apunch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes runningacross the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheetsat the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feedingout and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to saidfeed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by saidfeed tapes in'line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift ofsheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shiftingthe stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch.

2. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having apunch for perforatinga lift of sheets and comprising feed-tapes runningacross the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheetsat the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating. feedingout and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack tosaidfeed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheet-s'advanoed by saidfeed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift ofsheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch, means for shiftingthe stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch and a jogger forregistering the lifts against said stop.

3. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having apunch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes runningacross the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheetsat the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feedingout and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to saidfeed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by saidfeed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift ofsheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shiftingthe stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said lift separating,feeding-out and delivering means including a feed blade entering thestack at the bottom lift level and a holdback clamp for gripping theimmediately overlying sheets when the bottom lifts are being shiftedfrom beneath the same.

4. A paper feed device for automatic paper punching machine having apunch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes runningacross the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheetsat the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feedingout and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to saidfeed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced .by saidfeed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stopped lift ofsheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means for shiftingthe stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said lift separating,feeding out and delivering means including a reciprocating slide havinga feed blade penetrating the bottom of the stack and a clamp bladepositioned to enter the stack above the feed blade and yieldably mountedon the slide.

5. A paper feed device for an automatic paper punching machine having apunch for perforating a lift of sheets and comprising feed tapes runningacross the front of said punch, means for supporting a stack of sheetsat the entrance end of said feed tapes, means for separating, feedingout and delivering a lift of sheets from the bottom of the stack to saidfeed tapes, an end stop for stopping a lift of sheets advanced by.

10' said feed tapes in line with the punch, means for feeding a stoppedlift of sheets laterally of the feed tapes into the punch and means forshifting the stop clear of a lift perforated by the punch, said liftseparating, feeding out and delivering means includinga reciprocatingslide having, a feed blade penetratingthe bottom .of the stack and aclamp blade positionedto enter the stackabovethe feed blade andyieldably mounted on the slide and a stationary member engaged by saidclamping blade to close. the samei into gripping engagement with.

downwardly sheets above the feed blade. .6; A feed device for anautomatic paper punching machine having punch mechanism compris-.- ing astack supporting table at one side of said.

punch mechanism, stack guides on said table, a reciprocating sheetfeeder on said table at the outer side of said stack guides,gripperrollsiat the base of the stackat the opposite side of said stackguides, a conveyor extending from said gripper rolls in front .of saidpunch mechanismported at one end and a hook cam at said pivotallysupported end for lifting and supporting said frame with the tapescarried thereby separated from the companion tapes.

8. Feed mechanism for an automatic punch, comprising upper and lowersets of companion feed tapes operating across the front of the punch, aframe pivotally supported at one end and carrying the upper set of feedtapes, a hook cam at the pivotally supported end of said frame and arelatively stationary member positioned for engagement by said hook cam.

9. In a machine of the character disclosed, companion sets of upper andlower feed tapes, drive shafts for said tapes having intermeshing gears,vertically slidable journal boxes for the upper drive shaft, a frame forsupporting the upper set of tapes pivotally engaged on said journalboxes, a hook cam carried by said frame and a fixed support positionedto be engaged by said hook cam to effect lifting movement of saidjournal boxes and said upper tape frame.

10. Feed mechanism for an automatic punching machine comprising meansfor supporting a stack of sheets in front of and at one side of saidpunching mechanism, sheet conveying means running from the base of saidstack across the front of said punching mechanism, means for feedingsheets out from the bottom of said stack and delivering them to saidconveying means, means for temporarily stopping sheets on said conveyingmeans in front of said punching mechanism and means for shifting thestopped sheets laterally of said conveying means to said punchingmechanism.

11. Feed mechanism for an automatic punching machine comprising meansfor supporting a stack of sheets in front of and at one side of saidpunching mechanism, sheet conveying means running from the base of saidstack across the front of said punching mechanism,

of said sth'iak and delivering 1 them to said: conmeans includinga'she'et'stop and means for shift "th'esa-nie' into'the path of movementof-sheets removing the same from said pathat'the comple tion ofeachp'u'nohing= action of said punching deri'ied by saidsheet' conveyingmeans and' then mechanism.

12: 'A'j' sheet feeder ofthe character disclosed comprisinga hopper forconfining a stack of "15 sheets; a'-feed blade reciprocating at the footof said'hopfie'r forfeeding sheets out from the'bot-j ton'i of th'e'hopper, a; continuously. runningsheet conveiror for advancing'sheetsremoved from the tiottom ofthe' stack; a=stop for arresting sheet's onsaid conveyor, means for intermittently operating 1 on sheet'snrre'stedbysaid stop, means 'forretractingthe'stop-to 'enable sheets'to'becontinued in movement by the conveyera'fter beinglactediupon by" saidintermittently operating; mechanism? and movement to said sheets afterretraction-'ofusaidf' stop.

CHARLES C. CRUZAN;

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